Red Bird Singing in the Dead of Night, Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly

View Larger MapSpeaking, as we were late last week, of deserted area malls, today comes word that the city council's trying to figure out what to do with the Shopping Center Formerly Known as Red Bird. Otherwise called Southwest Center Mall, the joint was once a jam-packed jewel upon its...

By Robert Wilonsky

April 6, 2009

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View Larger Map
Speaking, as we were late last week, of deserted area malls, today comes word that the city council's trying to figure out what to do with the Shopping Center Formerly Known as Red Bird. Otherwise called Southwest Center Mall, the joint was once a jam-packed jewel upon its grand opening in 1975, anchored by such estimable name brands as Sanger-Harris, J.C. Penney and Sears.

But several sales and shutterings later, it's more or less a crime-ridden wasteland now, which is why the council's Economic Development Committee's weighing the Southern Dallas Task Force's recommendation to spend $120,000 in Chapter 380 economic development grant money so the Urban Land Institute's Advisory Services can "assess redevelopment options." Which would include -- aw, you peeked -- tearing it down, hiring a master planner and starting over with a mixed-use development.

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